• FluTrackers.com Inc. does not provide medical advice. Information on this web site is collected from various internet resources, and the FluTrackers board of directors makes no warranty to the safety, efficacy, correctness or completeness of the information posted on this site by any author or poster. The information collated here is for instructional and/or discussion purposes only and is NOT intended to diagnose or treat any disease, illness, or other medical condition. Every individual reader or poster should seek advice from their personal physician/healthcare practitioner before considering or using any interventions that are discussed on this website. By continuing to access this website you agree to consult your personal physican before using any interventions posted on this website, and you agree to hold harmless FluTrackers.com Inc., the board of directors, the members, and all authors and posters for any effects from use of any medication, supplement, vitamin or other substance, device, intervention, etc. mentioned in posts on this website, or other internet venues referenced in posts on this website.
  • We are not asking for any donations. Do not donate to any entity who says they are raising funds for us.

Implementing Effective Crisis Communications for Natural Disasters and Other Emergencies

Commonground

Senior Moderator
Created: Thursday, September 17, 2026 - 16:03

Categories: Emergency Response & Recovery, Federal & State Resources, General Security and Resilience

Summary: Last month, Security Management Magazine published a series of articles offering guidance to help organizations strengthen their crisis communications. For water and wastewater utilities, when disaster strikes, clearly communicating the situation and its consequences to customers and response partners is critical for response and recovery efforts.

Analyst Note: Crisis communication plans and procedures should be clearly documented and exercised before a crisis occurs. Poor communications from critical infrastructure entities during disasters can lead to the spread of dis/misinformation, which can exacerbate operational impacts and further imperil public safety. For example, in 2024, during a winter weather event, a false social media post about a possible water outage prompted people to quickly fill their bathtubs, which caused a drop in pressure that temporarily disrupted services. In this incident, early crisis communications could have potentially mitigated some of the operational impacts.

Towards that end, Security Management Magazine’s six articles on crisis communications detail various aspects for organizations to consider. The six articles are listed below:

  • The Right Message: Aligning Communication, Relationships, and Timing During Crises
  • Why ‘Never Go Off Script’ Is Advice for Amateurs
  • Why Corporate Security Influence Expands in Crisis and Contracts in Routine Operations
  • Without Alignment, Crisis Messaging Fails Before the Crisis Begins
  • How to Maintain Stakeholder Trust in the Early Phases of a Crisis
  • The Readiness Gap: Why Organizations That Test the Plan Still Struggle in Crisis
EPA also has several resources on crisis communications for water and wastewater utilities. In addition, to help counter dis/misinformation in disasters and emergencies DHS released a guide on the topic a few years ago, detailing the problem and offering mitigation recommendations. The guide states, “rumors, misinformation and false information on social media proliferate before, during and after disasters and emergencies.”

Lastly, researchers in Australia found that besides just conducting crisis communications, infrastructure operators should engage meaningfully with their communities before a disaster strikes.

Original Source:
https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/articles/2026/08/crisis-communications/

Additional Reading:
Related WaterISAC PIRs: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, & 18


-------------------

edited to add bolding and color s.s.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Back
Top Bottom